Switching device for opening non-current carrying circuits



March 3, 1970 A.BLHBTREU SWITCHING DEVICE FOR OPENING NON-CURRENT CARRYING CIRCUITS Filed Feb. 14, 1968 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 IHIIIIIII. II

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SWITCHING DEVICE FOR OPENING NON-CURRENT CARRYING CIRCUITS Filed Feb. 14, 1968 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 YNI/ENIOP.

M MM/04M IM/W March 3, 1970 A. BLEIBTREU 3,499,135

SWITCHING DEVICE FOR OPENING NON-CURRENT CARRYING CIRCUITS Filed Feb. 14, 1968 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 WVE/VTOE WWMW M Mm KW United States Patent 3,499,135 SWITCHING DEVICE FOR OPENING NON-CURRENT CARRYING CIRCUITS Alexander Bleibtreu, Regensburg, Germany, assignor to Maschinenfabrik Reinhausen Gebruder Scheubeck K.G., Regensburg, Germany Filed Feb. 14, 1968, Ser. No. 705,359 Claims priority, application Germany, Mar. 7, 1967, M 73,066 Int. Cl. H01h 1/50, 9/00 US. Cl. 200-170 11 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The device includes stacks of interleaving contacts each contact of each stack being arranged in a separate chamber formed by a pair of relatively movable contact supports. Transverse contact pressure is applied and released by spring biased cam controlled levers pivotally supported by one of the aforementioned contact supports.

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION Disclosed below is an improvement of the switching device according to US. Patent 3,310,640 to A. Bleibtreu, Mar. 21, 1967, High Current-Carrying Capacity Switching Devices Requiring Small Contact Pressures.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A switching device embodying this invention includes a first stack of superimposed spaced contacts, and a first contact support defining recesses open on one side and each receiving one contact of said first stack of contacts. Said first contact support supports a plurality of spring means biasing each contact of said first stack of contacts toward said open side of said recesses. The structure further includes means providing a limited freedom of outward motion for the contacts of said first stack of contacts relative to said first contact support, and limiting the outward motion of the contacts of said first stack of contacts from said recesses of said first contact support. The structure further includes spring-biased pivotally supported lever means jointly movable with said first contact support which lever means include one lever arm tending to exert transverse pressure upon said first stack of contacts and another lever arm operable against spring bias. The aforementioned another lever arm is engageable and operable by fixed cam means to render said spring bias ineffective. The structure further includes a second stack of superimposed spaced contacts arranged in interleaving relation to the contacts of said first stack of contacts. The contacts of said second stack of contacts are arranged in registry with recesses defined by a second contact support. These are open at one side. The structure further includes contact pressure bracing means integral with said second support for bracing the contacts of said first stack of contacts and the contacts of said second stack of contacts against the spring bias of said lever means. In addition to the above the structure includes operating means for moving said first contact support relative to said second support to cause selective engagement and disengagement of the contacts of said first stack of contacts and of the 3,499,135 Patented Mar. 3, 1970 contacts of said second stack of contacts and to cause selective disengagement of said another lever arm from said fixed cam means and engagement of said another lever arm by said fixed cam means.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a side elevation of a switching device embodying the present invention in the open position of its contacts;

FIG. 2 is a section along IIII of FIG. 1 showing the structure of FIG. 1 in its closed position;

FIG. 3 is a diagrammatic representation of a simplified version of the structure of FIGS. 1 and 2 seen from the same side of FIG. 1 and showing its contacts in their closed position;

FIG. 4 shows the structure of FIG. 3 in the same fashion as FIG. 3 but shows the contacts thereof in semiseparated position;

FIG. 5 shows the structure of FIG. 3 in the same fashion as FIG. 3 but shows the contact thereof when entirely separated; and

FIG. 6 is a section taken in the same way as FIG. 2 of a modification of the structure shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, contacts 10 are formed by metal laminae having a predetermined radius at the left ends thereof (see FIG. 2) and arranged in recesses or grooves 11 of a contact support 12 which is shaped in comb-like fashion defining a system of parallel grooves or recesses 11. These are open at one side and separated by parallel partitions. There is a predetermined clearance between contacts 10 and the aforementioned partitions which define recesses or grooves 11. The bottom of each recess or groove 11 is provided with a substantially cupshaped spring support 14 of insulating material. Helical springs 13 are interposed between contacts, or contact fingers 10 and spring supports 14, the latter insulating the contacts, or contact fingers 10 from contact support 12. Each contact 10 is provided with contact guiding slots 15 and pins 16 project transversely across the planes defined by contacts 10 and are arranged inside of slots 15. The axially outer ends of pins 16 and a number of intermediate points thereof are supported by contact support 12 which is provided with bores for receiving pins 16. Thus contacts 10 are secured to contact support 12 but movable relative to contact support 12 in the direction of slots 15. Contact support 12 is, in turn, supported by a substantially U-shaped contact-support-holder 17 to which operating rod 18 is pivotally connected. Reference numerals 20 and 21 have been applied to indicate an upper frame plate and a lower frame plate each provided with groove means 19. Contact-support-holder 17 engages groove means 19 and is slidably movable relative to frame plates 20, 21 under the action of operating rod 18. Thus plates 20, 21 form a pair of ways for rectilinear movement of parts 10, 12 and 17. Numeral 22 has been applied to indicate a shaft mounted on contact support 12 and supporting a pair of levers 23. Each of levers 23 has two arms 24, 25. Arms 24 support adjacent the end thereof remote from shafts .22 rollers 26 and arms 25 support adjacent the end theretive control of levers 23, Le. a pivotal movement thereof about shafts 22 against the bias of springs 28 in counterclockwise direction.

Movable contacts 10 cooperate with fixed contacts 30 and 300. As seen in FIG. 1, fixed contacts 30 and 30a are arranged at different levels and can be conductively interconnected by movable contacts 10. As clearly shown in FIG. 2, movable contacts 10 and fixed contacts 30 interleave, and the same applies in regard to contacts 10 and contacts 30a, contacts 30 and 30a being arranged in superimposed registering pairs. Contacts 30, 30a are arranged adjacent the open end of recesses or grooves 32 formed by a pair of contact supports 33 and 330, respectively, of which each is shaped in comb-like fashion. In the closed position of the switch the outer end of contacts 10 abut against partitions 36 separating grooves or recesses 32. Contacts 30 and 30a are preferably formed by caps or cap-like structures. There is a predetermined clearance between contacts 30 and 30a and the contact receiving recesses or grooves 32 of contact supports 33 and 33a. Each contact 30, 30a is supported by a flexible lead 31, e.g. a strip of metal, in each of grooves 32 conductively connecting the respective contact with the respective support 33, 33a. Contacts 30 and 30a are provided with terminals 35 and 35a, respectively, and are supported by insulating members 34. The upper ends and the lower ends of insulating members 34 are afiixed to the upper frame plate 20, and to the lower frame plate 21, respectively.

Referring now more particularly to FIG. 3 showing a simplified version of the switch of FIGS. 1 and 2 in its closed position, movable contacts 10 and fixed contacts 30 are interleaving, and the biasing springs 13 of contacts 10 are compressed by virtue of the fact that the ends of contacts 10 immediately adjacent contacts 30 abut against the partitions 36 of contact support 33. Roller 27 of lever 23 has parted from cam 29, thus allowing spring 28 to pivot lever 23 about shaft 22 in clockwise direction and to cause engagement under pressure of contacts 10 and 30. The last or uppermost partition 36a of contact support 33 forms a brace receiving the pres sure exerted by spring 28 and transmitted to it by the intervening contacts 10 and 30.

Assuming now that contact support 12 is being moved from left to right, as indicated in FIG. 4 by an arrow, this causes springs 13 to expand while contacts 10 and 30 remain in the interleaving position thereof. When roller 27 engages cam 29 lever 23 is pivoted about shaft 22 in counterclockwise direction against the action or bias of spring 28. At this point of time contacts 10 and 30 are still interleaving, but are not under transverse pressure any longer.

Continued movement of contact support .12 from left to right as seen in FIGS. 4 and 5 results in separation of contacts from contacts 30 (and also from contacts 30a considering the structure of FIGS. 1 and 2). In the position of FIG. 5 contacts 10 have been moved by springs 13 from right to left relative to contact support 12. Though contacts 10 now project outwardly from contact support 12, they are firmly connected to the latter by means of slots 15 and rods 16 shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 5 shows the cooperating contacts 10, 30 in fully open positions.

FIGS. 5, 4 and 3 also illustrate the sequence of steps involved in closing the switch. When the switch is being closed, first contacts 10 and 30 are caused to interleave, and thereafter roller 27 parts from cam 29 allowing levers 23 to pivot in clockwise direction about shaft 22, thus causing spring 28 to establish transverse pressure between contacts 10 and contacts 30.

It will be apparent from the foregoing that the structure of FIGS. 3 to 5, inclusive, differs from the structure of FIGS. 1 and 2 by the omission of fixed contacts 30a and the omission of one of the two spring biased levers 23 and one of cams 19. Thus the structure of FIGS. 3

to 5, inclusive, is-as mentioned above-a simplified version of the structure of FIGS. 1 and 2.

In FIG. 6 the same reference characters as in FIG. 2 have been applied to designate like parts. Hence FIG. 6 calls but for a specific description inasmuch as the structure of FIG. 6 differs from that of FIGS. 1 and 2. The structure of FIG. 6 is intended for applications requiring a particularly large number of cooperating interleaving contacts or, in other words, intended to carry particularly large currents. While levers 23 of FIG. 2 pivot in the same senseclockwise during a closing stroke of operating rod 18 and counterclockwise during an opening stroke of operating rod 18-levers 23 of the structure of FIG. 6 supported by shafts 22 pivot simultaneously in opposite directions during both the closing stroke and the opening stroke of movable contacts 10. Their opposite bias is imparted to levers 23' by helical springs 28 and rollers 27' of levers 23' cooperate with fixed abutments 29. The fixed contact support 33 of the structure of FIG. 6 includes a center partition 3611 having a pair of Opposite bracing surfaces. All contacts 10, 30 to one side of partition 36b are pressed by one of rollers 26' on one of pivotable levers 23' pivotable about one of shafts 22 against one side of partition 36b, and all contacts 10, 30 to the other side of partition 36b are pressed by the other of rollers 26 on the other of levers 23' pivotable about the other of shafts 22' against the other side of partition 36b of the structure of FIG. 6. Partition 36b thus performs, in essence, the same function as partition 36a of the structure of FIG. 2, but since in the structure of FIG. 6 contacts 10, 30 are subdivided into two groups movable by separate springs 28' against separate bracing surfaces, the number of interleaving contacts forming a contact stack may be larger in the case of FIG. 6 than in the case of FIG. 1.

It will be apparent from the above that movement of rod 18 of the structure of FIG. 6 from the position thereof shown therein to the right results in collapse of the transverse pressure between contacts 10 and 30, and subsequent separation of contacts 10 from contacts 30. Movement of rod 18 in the opposite direction results first in interleaving engagement of contacts 10 and 30, and subsequent establishment of transverse contact pressure between contacts 10 and 30.

A significant distinction between the structure of FIGS. 1 and 2 and the structure of FIG. 6 consists in the fact that in the structure of FIGS. 1 and 2 the movable front contact 10 is engaged by a pair of rollers 24 rather than but one single roller. One roller 24 engages the aforementioned contact 10 adjacent its lower end, and the other roller 24 engages the aforementioned contact 10 adjacent its upper end. This is conducive to good or even distribution of contact pressure.

It Will be understood that I have illustrated and described herein several preferred embodiments of my invention, and that various alterations may be made in the details therof without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

I claim as my invention:

1. A switching device including:

(a) a first stack of superimposed spaced contacts;

(b) a first contact support defining recesses open on one side and each receiving one contact of said first stack of contacts;

(c) a plurality of spring means supported by said first contact support biasing each contact of said first stack of contacts toward said open side of said recesses;

(d) means providing a limited freedom of outward motion for the contacts of said first stack of contacts relative to said first contact support and limiting the outward motion of the contacts of said first stack of contacts from said recesses of said first contact support;

(e) spring biased pivotally supported lever means jointly movable with said first contact support, said lever means including one lever arm tending to exert transverse pressure upon said first stack of contacts and another lever arm operable against spring bias;

(f) fixed cam means engaging and operating said another lever arm to render said spring bias inelfective;

( a second stack of superimposed spaced contacts arranged in interleaving relation to the contacts of said first stack;

(h) a second contact support defining recesses open on one side each in registry with one contact of said second stack of contacts;

(i) contact pressure bracing means integral with said Second contact support for bracing the contacts of said first stack of contacts and the contacts of said second stack of contacts against the spring bias of said lever means; and

(j) operating means for moving said first contact support relative to said second contact support to cause selective engagement and disengagement of the contacts of said first stack of contacts and of the contacts of said second stack of contacts and to cause select ve disengagement of said another lever arm from said fixed cam means and engagement of said another lever arm by said fixed cam means.

2. A switching device as specified in claim 1 wherein each contact of said first stack of contacts is formed by a metal lamina, and wherein each contact of said second stack of contacts is formed by a contact cap and a flexible metal ribbon supporting said cap on one end thereof and supported on the other end thereof by said second contact support.

3. A switching device as specified in claim 1 wherein said second stack of contacts includes registering pairs of superimposed contacts, and wherein said first stack of contacts is arranged to conductively interconnect said registering pairs of superimposed contacts.

4. A switching device as specified in claim 1 wherein the contacts of said first stack of contacts are formed by metal laminae having slots, and wherein the freedom of motion of said metal laminae relative to said first contact support is limited by rods supported by said first contact support and projecting transversely through said slots in said metal laminae.

5. A switching device :as specified in claim 1 including (a) a substantially U-shaped support supporting said first contact support and operable by said operating means, and

(b) a pair of spaced frame plates sandwiching said substantially U-shaped support, in sliding engage- ,ment with said substantially U-shaped support and forming a pair of ways for said substantially U- shaped support.

6. A switching device as specified in claim 1 including (a) a shaft supported by said first contact support and supporting said spring-biased lever means; and

(b) a pair of rollers supported by said spring biased lever means, one of said pair of rollers supported by said one lever arm and tending to exert transverse pressure upon the contacts of said first stack of contacts and upon the contacts of said second stack of contacts, and the other of said pair of rollers supported by said another lever arm and arranged to cooperatively engage said fixed cam means upon operation of said operating means in switch opening direction.

7. A switching device as specified in claim 6 including (a) a pair of shafts both supported by said first contact support and a pair of separate spring-biased lever means each supported by one of said pair of shafts, each of said pair of spring-biased lever means biased in the same sense; and

(b) two pairs of rollers each pair supported by one of said pair of separate spring biased lever means, one roller of each of said two pairs of rollers arranged to engage one contact of said first stack of contacts situated at one end of said first stack of contacts adjacent opposite ends of said one contact, and said one roller of each of said two pairs of rollers tending to apply pressure upon said one contact in the direction from said one contact to the contact of said first stack of contacts situated at the other end of said first stack of contacts.

8. A switching device as specified in claim 7 wherein said second contact support forms an abutment bnacing said contact of said first stack situated at said other end of said first stack of contacts.

9. A switching device as specified in claim 6 including (a) :a pair of shafts supported by said first contact support and a pair of separate spring-biased lever means each supported by one of said pair of shafts, each of said pair of spring-biased lever means spring-biased in an opposite sense; and

(b) two pairs of rollers each pair supported by one of said pair of separate Spring biased lever means, one roller of each of said two pairs of rollers arranged to engage a contact of said first stack of contacts situated at one of the ends of said first stack of contacts.

10. A switching device as specified in claim 9 wherein said second contact support forms adjacent the center thereof a pair of abutments engagea'ble by contacts of said first stack of contacts and bracing said contacts of said first stack of contacts.

11. A switching device as specified in claim 1 wherein said recesses in said second contact support are separated by partitions forming abutments engageable by the contacts of said first stack of contacts and tending to compress said plurality of spring means in the closed position of said switching device.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,254,914 9/1941 Rugg 200 X 3,137,778 6/1964 Barr. 3,201,556 8/1965 Baird. 3,310,640 3/1967 Bleibtreu 200-1 3,328,550 6/1967 Miller.

HERMAN O. JONES, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 200-1 

